Pure Arabica vs Arabica Robusta vs Chicory Filter Coffee: Which to Buy?
How pure Arabica, Arabica Robusta and Arabica chicory filter coffee powder differ in taste, caffeine and bitterness, and which one suits you.
Walk into any South Indian kitchen and you will find one of three kinds of filter coffee powder: pure Arabica, an Arabica Robusta blend, or a coffee chicory blend. They taste different, carry different amounts of caffeine and suit different habits. Here is how to choose.
Pure Arabica
100% Arabica, nothing added. The cup is naturally sweet and aromatic, with balanced acidity and no bitterness from chicory. It is the smoothest of the three and the one to pick if you take your filter coffee with little sugar, or black.
From ₹440
Arabica Robusta blend
Arabica for aroma and sweetness, Robusta for strength, body and crema. The more Robusta, the stronger and heavier the cup, and Robusta carries roughly twice the caffeine of Arabica. We make 95:5, 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30 blends. A coffee-only blend suits you if you want a strong cup with milk but do not want chicory.
Arabica chicory blend
Chicory is a roasted root, not coffee. It adds body, colour and a bittersweet, slightly thick finish, and it has no caffeine, so a higher chicory share gives a gentler cup per spoon. This is the traditional South Indian filter kaapi taste. We make 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 and 50:50. See the chicory ratio guide for what each ratio does.
Side by side
| Pure Arabica | Arabica Robusta | Arabica chicory | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Sweet, aromatic, smooth | Strong, full body, crema | Thick, dark, bittersweet |
| Caffeine | Moderate | Higher as Robusta rises | Lower as chicory rises |
| Bitterness | Low | Medium to high | Medium |
| Best with | Little sugar, or black | Milk | Milk and sugar |
Which should you buy?
- New to filter coffee: start with 80:20 Arabica chicory, the usual home blend.
- Want it smooth: pure Arabica.
- Want it strong, no chicory: 80:20 or 70:30 Arabica Robusta.
- Not sure: buy a 250g pack of two and compare. All of them are roasted after you order.
Browse all of them in our filter coffee powder collection, or go straight to Arabica chicory, pure Arabica or Arabica Robusta filter coffee.